The subject matter herein relates generally to corrosion resistant electrical conductors.
Electrical conductors are used to transmit data signals and/or power. Typical examples of electrical conductors are contacts used as part of an electrical connector that may be electrically connector to a wire, electrical traces on a printed circuit board, or another contact of another electrical connector. Other examples of electrical conductors are conductive traces on a printed circuit board. The electrical conductors typically include a metal substrate, such as a copper or copper alloy substrate. To enhance the properties or characteristics of the metal substrate, such as to reduce corrosion or provide a harder surface for connection to another electrical component, the metal substrate is typically plated, such as with a nickel plating layer and a gold plating layer. The nickel plating layer is used as a buffer between the gold plating layer and the copper substrate.
However, conventional nickel-gold plated copper conductors are not without disadvantages. For example, the nickel-gold plating may be insufficient to resist corrosion. For example, a problem exists with pitting corrosion that occurs through the nickel-gold plating layer due to pin holes existing in the gold plating layer and/or the nickel plating layer. Counter measures such that a nickel plating layer and/or a gold plating layer are thickened have been considered, but such counter measures increase the cost of the plating.
A need remains for an electrical conductor that is corrosion resistant.